Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Cleaning & Mommys little helpers

Because, we all want to maximize our time & spend the bulk of
our time doing things we actually enjoy {like spending time with family &
friends}, I am sharing my 10 minute makeover as part of a sponsored
collaboration between #CollectiveBias, Windex® & Pledge®. Per the usual, all
opinions, spelling errors & smiley faces are mine alone:)! #InstaClean#ad

When Kyle & I were newlyweds and were both working outside the home; the bulk of our cleaning was done on Saturdays. That was what worked with our schedules back then{since I had a crazy schedule with odd hours}. But now that I’m a stay at home mommy to my lovely girls, we have gotten into a better schedule that gives us more time to relax & enjoy each other’s company.

So I’m sure you’re wondering what my method is, right? Well, since we have two very sweet and eager to help little girls, we usually break the cleaning tasks up so mommy doesn’t have to do it all.

So, during the mornings, we do a 10 minute cleaning challenge . The rules are simple. We have 10 minutes to accomplish the items on our lists. The lists are personalized to each of us, since my toddler can’t do the same kinds of tasks that my five year old can, or likewise that I am able to do.

So, once everyone has received their lists, we explain them, set the timer & scamper off to see how many chores we can accomplish within that time-frame.

First one to finish gets to choose their reward { stickers, mommy's lip balms, treats, etc.} plus, they also get to choose the next game we play.

The girls checklists revolve around cleaning up their room. It includes things like: picking up toys, folding their blankets/doing their bed, sorting their clean/dirty clothes,etc. If they have enough time, they can come to their playroom & put toys & books away.

I usually spend the bulk of my time cleaning the high traffic areas, for us that is our morning room, kitchen, living room & foyer.

I don't have a huge variety of cleaning products, just my tried & true favorites.

The morning room is usually my first pit-stop. It is easily my favorite room in our home! It is practically all windows & gives us such an amazing view of the woods & creek behind our home. We usually have our blinds pulled up during the days, so the girls are always touching the glass with their little hands & faces.{which I don't really mind, if I was a kid I'd probably to that too}. I just always know that I have to touch up the windows first, so I don't forget about them.

I saw the new Windex® Crystal Rain™ cleaner at my last Kroger trip & had to grab it. We are usually stocked in the original Windex® but I thought I'd give this one a try.

What do you think? Spotless, right?

My next stop is usually the kitchen, since it's one of the first things guests see when they enter our home. I start clearing off the counters of any dishes & put them in the dishwasher, wipe down the counters & quickly spot clean the cabinets of any grime/dirt.

I like to use the Pledge® furniture polish wipes for my front cabinets because I can effortlessly get into all the nooks & crevices of the cabinetry.

Our living room usually accumulates toys & blankets, so I just toss it all in a basket to sort through & return to its proper place.

Our girls love our foyer. It's nothing special. But since Mally started riding the bus to school, our girls spend a lot of time there waiting in the foyer & peeking their little faces through the windows{to see if their friends & bus are coming }.So I always make it a point to wipe those windows clean.

I try to do our 10 minute challenge every day so I can better maintain & manage the cleanliness of our home. I have a few variations of our routine, but this is our go-to for when we are expecting company. Something else that helps with maintaining, is making sure the kitchen counters are cleared off & there aren't any dishes in the sink before we go to bed. It makes the morning clean up so much easier!

I'd love for our home to be spotless 24/7 but that's just not realistic for us. Plus, there are more important things for me to be doing during the day: like nurturing relationships by spending time with family & friends. This cleaning routine has been really fun for us. Plus, I love that the girls are learning responsibility at such a young age!

What is your cleaning routine? Do you clean at various times of the day or just do it all one day of the week? I'd love to hear from you & any cleaning tips you may have!